Drama in Provincetown: 2013 Fall Playwright’s Festival

Head to P-town this fall for a wonderfully organic theater experience at the 2013 Fall Playwright’s Festival! The Distinctive Inns of Provincetown are happy to host your stay between November 7-10, 2013, when the Provincetown Theater will present creations from some of New England’s most talented playwrights!

Each year, the Provincetown Theater holds this innovative festival in both spring and fall, which is a great way to both welcome, and say farewell, to the busy season.

The Playwright’s Festivals are, in essence, a contest for playwrights for the opportunity to produce their creation at the Festival. A call for plays goes out approximately 6-7 months prior to a festival. Any playwrights submitting scripts are required to either live in New England or have some sort of connection with Provincetown theater. Plays are also required to be submitted anonymously (one file with just the script title and the script itself, another file with a full title page including the playwright’s name, contact information, and synopsis), meaning that the selection is based on the merit of the script alone, and not the name associated with them.

Festival plays fall into one of two categories: 10-minute plays (no longer than 15 minutes), and one-act plays. Some may argue that 10-minute plays have the potential to become long skits… but that’s where the skill of the playwright comes in! The festival selection committee look for plays that truly send a message or inspire deep feelings. While humor can be part of a submitted play, the usual gags in skits will just not do! The selection committee makes sure to choose only those plays that will provide a truly satisfying theatrical experience.

The other ingredient that sets this Festival apart from others is that the plays are required to be performed on a black-box stage: basically, a simple black stage with black backdrop, minimal props (ideally, only those that can be carried by an actor), and very little technical support. In essence, this means that the plays’ merit is based on the storyline and acting rather than elaborate sets and special effects.

Ten playwrights’ work is represented in eight 10-minute plays, and two one-act plays this year. Plays will be offered in two distinct sets at three different times each: at 7:30 pm each night of the event, and at 2pm on both Saturday November 9 and Sunday November 10. The Festival website shows which plays will show at the different date/time slots. All plays will be presented at The Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street.

Tickets can be held by making a donation to the Festival (suggested donation is at least $5). Some tickets may be available at the door, but definitely pre-order if you know you want to attend!

Rooms at many of our member inns are still available for the Fall 2013 Festival, so give us a call or book online today!